George s



2 shedssheet 1. G. S. STRONG. COMPOUND ENGINE.

(No Model.)

(No Model.)

G. s. STRONG; GOMPOUND ENGINE.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented May, 1896.

@mk f ANDREW BLWNIMA PNUTUUYNO. WASNIN GTON. D C

UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. STRONG, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BALANOEI) LOCOMOTIVE AND ENGINEERING COMPANY, OE SAME PLACE.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,502, dated May 5, 1896. Application filed November 17,1894. Serial No. 529,110. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have `invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Compound Engines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to compound engines, and has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of such engines and render them more compact.

My invention will be best understood as explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, inWhich-n Figure 1 is a front view, in vertical section, of a quadruple expansion-engine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line w of Fig. l, and Eig. 3 is a cross-section on the line y y of Fig. l.

E is asuitable frame on which are supported the crank-shaft S, the cylinders, andthe other operative parts of an engine.

O is a casting having formed therein a cylinder c, suitable cores for valves u o, and is provided with a suitable flange, which is preferably formed in two parts ffi.

O is a casting very similar in formto the casting C, having formed therein a cylinder c of larger cross-section than the cylinder c, suitable cores for valves, and is provided with a flange adapted to abut against the flange on the casting C. This ange is also conveniently formed in two parts f f3. The faces of these flanges are planed off true, and when the castings are in position these Iianges abut, as shown in Fig. 3, and the castings are bolted together. In the construction shown I also form recesses f5 f6 in the flanges, which serve as guides for a valve-stem s. A casting O2, having a cylinder c2 formed therein, forms the head of the cylinder c, and a casting O4, having a cylinder cL1 formed in it, forms the head of the cylinder c2. Similar castings O5 O5, with cylinders c3 c5, are similarly arranged over the cylinder c. I preferably form the cylinders c4 c5 of the same size, and also the cylinders c2 c3, these last-named cylinders being larger than the cylinders c4t c5.

A is a piston adapted to reciprocate inthe cylinder c, and is provided with trunk extensions b b2, preferably of the same size, the trunk b2 extending into and forming with its head a2 the piston in cylinder c2, while the trunk l; serves as a cross-head guided in neck D and sleeve I-I. From the end of the trunk b2 another trunk b4 extends into the cylinder c4 and forms the piston in that cylinder.` A

' similar piston A', provided With similar trunks b3, ZJ', and b5, is arranged in the parallel set of cylinders c c3 c5. The pistons in the cylinders c4 c5 are preferably of the same size. So are the pistons in the cylinders c2 c3, and these pistons are all single-acting. A single valve V, preferably a tubular piston-valve, as shown, is adapted to govern the admission of steam to and its exhaust from these cylinders c2 c3 c4` c5, which, it will be observed, form of themselves a compound engine, and these four cylinders, arranged substantially as shown, form a very eflicieni sin gle-acting engine, and may be used as such independent of the cylinders c c', which form a second compound engine.

In the position of the valve N (shown in Fig. I) steam at high pressure from the port N enters the cylinder c4 through the port o4. Steam at the same time is exhausting from the cylinder c5 into the tubular valve V and through the openings o4 and port o2 into the cylinder c2, and finally the steam from the cylinder c3 is exhausting out of port o3 and port N. The steam is preferably exhausted from the upper cylinders into a receiverK, from which it is taken to be further expanded in the lower pressure-cylinders. This receiver K, I prefer to make also a reheater, and I therefore provide a tube-plate 7c, preferably in the lower part of the receiver K, in which the tubes are Z Z secured. K is a closed box not connected with the easing of the reheater K, into which box the tubes Z Z open. 7a2 k3 are covers of the box K' and the reheating-receiver K, respectively.

K is a pipe for the admission of superheated steam or other hot gas for reheating Jthe -partially-expanded steam in the reheater, and l# is a drip-pipe which may lead to a trap.

By my construction of the reheater it will be seen that no expansion which the tubes can be subjected to will have any effect on IOO the casing, as the box K is independent of this casing.

The space around the tubes Z Z forms part of the passage of' the steam from the upper cylinders to the lower, and the steam, after being superheated, passes through the passage N2 and is admitted alternately into the upper and lower ends of the cylinder c by means of valves u The steam after being expanded in the cylinder c passes through the passages op, extending from the top and bottom of the cylinder c, respectively, and is admitted into the top and bottom of the cylinder c/ by means of valves uc, respectively, U21/2 being exhaust-valves through which the steam flows to the final exhaust-passage O. The valves u a), &c., for the lower cylinders are substantially the same and are operated in substantially the same way .as the valves described and claimed in'my application, Serial Idd-529,109, filed November 17, 189.4.,and Itherefore do'not claim the arrangement or mode of operating these in this application. NVhile, .as I have said, the single-.acting cylindersfc2 c3 c4 c5 can be used by themselves, I yprefertocombine them with the-double-acting cylinders c and c', thus-making a quadruple Iexpansion-engine which is very compact and easily operated.

The piston A, I preferably form of an annular ring a, vand form a cylinder hb2 of thin metal, preferablysteelboiler-plate, which cylinder is adaptedto extend in both` directions, forming trunks, as has been explained. This cylinder Z9 b2 I turn upon theoutside sothat it will'iitthe cylinder c2 and the inside of the ring a. Then it is turned up on the inside and a spider L fitted therein. Vhen in position,.the spider L is secured to the ring a, as

by rivets, securing all the parts together.

Thepiston-hcad c2 hasformed on it a flange Z2, which fits the upper end of the cylinder Z) 212, and at the lower end I secure a plate Z', to which is secured the connecting-rod G by means of the pin g. This construction -produces, a very light pistonand may of course be duplicated in the other set of pistons.

To guide the trunk extensions b b', I provide necks D'on the cylinders c c and also sleeves H, conveniently centered'by means of suitable flanges hwhich are seated in grooves (Z2-in the frame ofthe engine. The sleeves l-I havegroovesv h, in which are seated packing-rings r, which embrace the trunks ZJ b', and,.as will be seen, the neck D and sleeve -H form in effect a'cylindrical cross-head guide for-the trunk extension Z).

The two connecting-rods G arecounected to cranks S on-the main shaft.

E is an eccentric, Saa link-having a slot S3, in which. is arranged a block S, and serves by means of lrod s2 and stem s to operate the valve V, and by means of therod S to operate the valve u c, dac.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,- t

1. The combination in a compound engine of a casting C having a cylinder c formed therein and provided with flanges ffz, with a casting C having a cylinder c formed in it and pro- 'vided with flanges f f3 corresponding to the iianges ff2 on the casting C, said flanges having recesses f5 f6 adapted to form guides for a valve-rod s.

2. In a compound engine the combination with the double-actin g cylinders c c arranged side by side and having steam-ports adapted to admit steam at the top and bottom of said cylinders, of cylinders c2 c3 of decreasing areas arranged over the cylinders c c respectively and having steam-ports o2 o3 for admitting steam to the top of the cylinders, and cylinders c4 c5 of decreasing diameters arranged over the cylinders c2 c3 having ports 04 o5 for admitting steam linto the top of the cylinders c4 c5 all substantiallyas specified and so that the cylinders c4 c'5 and ci c3can serve as single-acting and thecylinders c c as'double-actving cylinders.

3. The combination ywith the cylinders cA1 c2 c arranged in line with each other of the cylinders c5 c3 c', also. arranged in line with-each other, the cylinder c'1 being of the same size as the cylinder c5 and the cylinder c2 of the same size as the cylinder c3, portsadapted to admit steam to the cylinders so that the cylinders c c will act as `double-acting and the other cylinders as single-acting cylinders and trunk-pistons for said single-acting cylinders.

4. In a compound engine a double-acting piston Afhavingtrunks Z2 b2 extending from it in opposite directions b2 being apiston and Z) a cross-head anda trunk-piston a4 extending from the trunk-pistonb2 in combination with apis ton A having trunks ZJ h3 extending from it on opposite sides b3 being a piston, and b a cross-head and a trunk yb5 extendinglfrom the trunk b3 and suitable cylinders for said pistons.

5. In a compound engine a pistonA having trunksl Z2 Z22- of` equal sizev extending from it in opposite directions b2 being a piston and Z) a cross-head and a trunk-piston c4 extending from the trunk-piston b2 in combination with a piston A having trunks b b3 of the same size as the trunks ZJ b2 extending from it on opposite sides Zbeing a piston and b a crosshead and a trunk-piston b5 extending from the trunk-piston b3 suitable cylinders-for said pistons and cylindrical cross-head guides for the trunks Z2 and Zi.

6. The combination with a double-acting piston A of' athin metal cylinder b2 extending in one direction and serving as a trunk-piston and a similar cylinder b extending in the other direction and serving as a cross-head, a trunkpiston head a? secured to the cylinder b2 a plate B4 secured to the cylinder b and a connecting-rod G secured to the plate Bt.

7. The combination with an annular doubleacting piston A, of a thin metal cylinder b b2 extending through the4 annular piston A and forming trunk extensions on each side thereof,

IOO

IIO

a spider L inside the piston A and a pistonhead a2 having a, flange Z2 fitting in the upper part b2 of the cylinder.

8. The combination with cylinders c2 c4 and c3 c5 provided With suitable pistons and adapted to act as a compound engine, a valve for governing the flow of steam to and from said cylinders, aoylinder c in line with the cylinders c2 c4 a cylinder o in line With Jhe @y1- inders c3 c5 the cylinders c c being adapted 1o to act as a compound engine, and a receiveil between the two sets of cylinders.

GEORGE S. STRONG. Witnesses:

HENRY J PACK, Envv. F. AYREs. 

